Deep Sea
Deep Sea Marelis are those that are secretive and more than a little xenophobic, keeping to themselves in the waters in and around Ryold and rarely interacting with humans or other species, though they do interact with Common Marelis. They are much more rarely seen than Common Marelis.
The given names used by Marelis are fairly unisex - given the span of genders available and the loose affiliation they have with such things, they tend to hold the view that a name is a name, and not give any strict gender association to it. Each Marelis has one given name, usually chosen by the male who incubated them, though many give considerations to the wishes of other parents in the Kucha as well. Common Marelis are more likely to have adapted their names (given and pod) to the tongues of other humanoids.
Examples of Given Names: Nauman, Imele, Taluit, Namik, Hellis
Marelis take as a family name the name of their pod. At any point in life if they leave a pod to join a new pod, they simply add the new name to the end of their full name. Thus, most adults have at least two family names: the pod name of their birth group, as well as the pod name of the pod their adult Kucha is a part of. Kuchas do not always stay in the same pod, however, so a Marelis over time can collect several pod names - or even some twice.
Examples of Pod Names: Aberviegin, Seralloch, Cabercly, Bomberllere, Abersoch
Naming Traditions
Given Names
The given names used by Marelis are fairly unisex - given the span of genders available and the loose affiliation they have with such things, they tend to hold the view that a name is a name, and not give any strict gender association to it. Each Marelis has one given name, usually chosen by the male who incubated them, though many give considerations to the wishes of other parents in the Kucha as well. Common Marelis are more likely to have adapted their names (given and pod) to the tongues of other humanoids.
Examples of Given Names: Nauman, Imele, Taluit, Namik, Hellis
Pod Names
Marelis take as a family name the name of their pod. At any point in life if they leave a pod to join a new pod, they simply add the new name to the end of their full name. Thus, most adults have at least two family names: the pod name of their birth group, as well as the pod name of the pod their adult Kucha is a part of. Kuchas do not always stay in the same pod, however, so a Marelis over time can collect several pod names - or even some twice.
Examples of Pod Names: Aberviegin, Seralloch, Cabercly, Bomberllere, Abersoch
Customs
Shared Values & Religion
All Deep Sea Marelis worship the Aethertide Pantheon; which consists of Marelis goddess of the sea Meari, human god of the sky Rhagnar, and their descendants who are minor deaties. However, unlike other Tideans, they focus on Meari over Rhagnar and depict the minor deaties as mostly Marelis.Unions
Knot-Tying
Deep Sea Marelis practice Knot-Tying when a couple is joined or an individual is added to an existing union. This occurs when Kuchas are formed and when an individual officially joins a Kucha. When it happens, the family and friends come together to throw a celebration. Stories are told about the individuals and food is served. Before the celebration, all individuals who are being joined are tied together, wrist to wrist. Small gifts are given to the new member(s), usually tokens of good luck, things that will be helpful, or things with emotional relevance. All guests whisper advice into the ears of those bound before leaving. It is traditional for the individual(s) involved to replace the ceremonial Knots at the end of or after the celebration with jewelry that is Tied permanently onto their partner - the material (string, rope, fine metal chains, etc.) may be determined by personal preference or the wealth of the group.Marriage
Marriage is almost never practiced amongst Deep Sea Marelis, as it is a human practice adopted by the Common Marelis who are mingling amongst the other sentient species. Very rarely, a form of marriage may happen to settle territory disputes between two Pods, and promote peaceful relations between the groups. When this happens, essentially they are becoming ceremonially one big Pod.Birth Customs
There are no baptismal rites for Tideans (followers of the Aethertide), but Marelis have common post-birth rites. The male Marelis who births the children has the right to name the children, and this custom is still kept amongst Deep Sea Marelis. After the children are named, and a few days after birth, the new children are presented to the Pod and the community.Funerary Customs
Deep Sea Marelis funeral rites also follow the dictates of old Aethertide. Adults attending the ceremony will have a morning meditation until sunset, either in silence or with traditional music. Children are often excused from the meditation. The deceased's remains are sunk as deep as possible into the water after the meditation. Following that, the mourners go to a different location and host a joyous wake to celebrate the deceased, with stories, food, and alcohol.Culture
Common Dress code
When dwelling underwater, the common-sense dress code is, as you might have guessed, nothing. Anything the Marelis wear when dwelling in their preferrred aquatic habitat is for aesthetics only; often drapes of shell and metal adornment; and jewelry. Deep Sea Marelis do not dress, except as needed for protection or warmth.
Art & Architecture
Deep Sea Marelis express themselves almost exclusively in tattoos, hair, and jewelry.
Foods & Cuisine
Marelis are omnivores, with a strong preference for fish and seafood over red or white meat. They have a muted sense of taste and smell, and so often are seeking and using exceptionally strong flavorings on all of their foods. They prefer rices and grains over breads. They are famous for their fancy preparations of smoked or raw fish.
Common Taboos
One big taboo for Marelis is that, in general, they don't share physical contact outside of their pod. Some conservative Marelis don't share physical contact outside of their Kucha. Typically they also accept some level (varying) of physical contact from their family - siblings, parents, etc. - even if they are not in the same Pod or Kucha. Overall, though, they are very picky about physical contact.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
A beautiful Marelis is a healthy Marelis - they like to see each other with a good, thick blubber layer for protection. They also like to see well-lubricated skin, and shiny scales, and fin-parts (if they have them) that aren't excessively torn or damaged. Hair is usually kept short or braided to keep it out of the way when they are underwater - intricate braids and shaving patterns are a sign of a well-groomed Marelis and also beautiful, while loose, tangled, or otherwise 'unkept' hair is frowned upon.
Gender Ideals
Female Marelis, and those hermaphroditic and unsexed individuals who identfy closer with females, are the bigger, leaner and stronger of the two genders, as they form the majority of warrior and hunting groups. They are expected to be decisive, strong, and bold.
Male Marelis, and those hermaphroditic and unsexed individuals who identify close with males, are the smaller, stereotypically weaker, and often heavier of the two genders. This is due to the fact that males are the ones who incubate eggs, and then take primary responsibility for child-rearing and home-making. They are expected to be kind, patient, and hardworking.
Male Marelis, and those hermaphroditic and unsexed individuals who identify close with males, are the smaller, stereotypically weaker, and often heavier of the two genders. This is due to the fact that males are the ones who incubate eggs, and then take primary responsibility for child-rearing and home-making. They are expected to be kind, patient, and hardworking.
Courtship Ideals
Marelis form incredibly strong bonds, but they are well-known for being mischievious and capricious. Courtship can often look a little bit like hazing or a lot like teasing, and often involves over-the-top demonstrations of skills as well as prank-playing and the like.
Relationship Ideals
Marelis form polyamorous groups called Kuchas, usually containing 3-6 individuals but occasionally in pairs. Young Marelis often "date" or experiment with several different Kuchas before they settle down, but after the age of 35, it is unusual for an adult Marelis to leave their Kucha. Members of a Kucha can have different romantic and platonic bonds amongst themselves, and all coparent the offspring within the group, though males do more parenting than females.
Header image by Anne Duabanon Unsplash.
Language
Most Deep Sea Marelis speak only the native Marelis tongue, Marel (mah-REL).
Protective Coatings
Marelis have developed several different kinds of coatings for leather, metal, stone, and shell to protect their valued jewelry, adornment, and weapons from the water they reside in, which is often salty and never great for the conditions of the things they love to wear.
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